


Cheated

by Perla_Regina (AlannaBlack)



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mysteryspider, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), starker - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Cheating, Drama, Hurt Peter Parker, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, POV Alternating, Starker, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark is a bastard, mysteryspider - Freeform, spiderio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:55:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlannaBlack/pseuds/Perla_Regina
Summary: Thanks from the bottom of my heart to muy-terrible-cici.tumblr.com / @CBeBeOwO for translating this work into English. I also want to thank to I Have A Bad Idea (MickieDeesIsMyChurch) for asking this work in English and asking her friend to translating it.Girls, you both are amazing!!
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Quentin Beck/Peter Parker
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [ENGAÑO](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21365983) by [Perla_Regina (AlannaBlack)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlannaBlack/pseuds/Perla_Regina). 



> Thanks from the bottom of my heart to muy-terrible-cici.tumblr.com / @CBeBeOwO for translating this work into English. I also want to thank to I Have A Bad Idea (MickieDeesIsMyChurch) for asking this work in English and asking her friend to translating it.
> 
> Girls, you both are amazing!!

"That's ... everything ... Take it all, baby."

Tony tugged on the brown hair tangled between his fingers with such force that he smiled when he felt the boy try not to vomit. He went deeper into that warm mouth, loving Peter’s soft lips that stretched over his erect skin. Tony continued to ram the back of Peter’s throat, not caring how Peter—whose nails were digging into the sheets—was feeling.

“Can’t do it, kid?” scoffed the millionaire as he yanked his wet dick out of Peter’s mouth, tapping it all over his face. He became even more aroused as he wet the face of his youthful apprentice.

With no warning, Tony completely unloaded, gasping and cursing, as he pulled at Peter’s hair again. When he noticed the young man trying to wipe the cum off his face, Tony gave him a quick and sharp slap on the side of Peter’s head.

“What did I tell you before, Parker?”

The boy stopped and sat still, kneeling before the imposing figure of the millionaire while the side of his skull throbbed and burned.

“Sorry, Daddy…” Peter whispered.

"I don't like you cleaning up when I'm barely done. It's like you're rejecting me.” Tony said as he watched a tear roll down the boy's face. He softened his tone before speaking again. “Well, you’re free to go. Be good.”

Peter got up and pulled up his pants, his face still covered in thick seed. After all, he did want to please the man who changed his life (although not in the way he had imagined). He took his things and left while Tony sat down to read the messages that Pepper had been sending him.

“Hey. Mrs. Parker came to ask where her nephew was...I had to tell her that you were going to take him home after you guys finished a work assignment and that’s why neither of you were picking up your phones.”

A sardonic grin couldn’t help but spread on his face as he answered. “Correction: he’s going home by himself. We just finished up on his ‘homework’.”

“God, I wish I could tell you to shut up to your face right now. Don’t you feel a hint of shame at what you’re doing? And do you have a contingency plan in case she ends up finding out about all of this?”

“Don’t need one,” Tony assured. “Besides, it’s all going to be okay. Peter isn’t being forced into doing this. He comes out here because he wants to. He’s dying to learn what I have to teach him. He’d never let this secret get out.”

Tony shut off his phone (a move that always irritated Pepper) and leaned back against the headboard. He still couldn’t fully grasp why the blonde was so obsessed with protecting Peter. Perhaps it was her maternal instinct that she never got to utilize. But what was there to worry about? Really, Peter had made it clear that he wanted to be alone with him; he called Tony insistently and for Tony, that was quite a clear sign. He wasn’t going to refuse Peter’s desires and ignore his own taboo fantasies. The thought of someone so young craving someone Tony’s age was enough to create stirrings in all the right places. The memory of their first accidental friction that soon turned into fiery sessions where Peter pushed himself between Tony’s legs made his heart jump. And the sight of the minor’s soft and sweet erection sticking out as he blushed was enough to make Tony want to pleasure himself on the spot.

“That precocious little thing...It’s only a matter of time...”

If anything stopped Tony from going after Peter immediately was the halo of innocence that floated above Peter’s head. Even for a sick bastard like him, snatching it from atop his head was still an iffy thing. Maybe if Peter was eighteen he would have already made him turn a thousand and one tricks. But nothing could compare to having him now at the tender age of fifteen. Seeing Peter beg for Tony now was amazing and watching his soft, round face covered in tears while being penetrated was even more so.

And without a doubt, Tony would make it happen.


	2. Two

It took a lot of patience, but the date had arrived. All this time, Peter waited with boyish glee, giddy at the prospect of meeting Tony once more. The only thing more difficult than holding back his excitement was convincing his aunt that the bruise under his eye was simply a result of another street fight. Despite her hesitance, she took the bait and allowed Peter to attend the dinner hosted by his mentor.

Opulence was the name of the game (as was to be expected by the ever so humble Tony Stark), so Peter was dead set on fitting in with the wealthy and high-ranking attendees. He had put himself together quite well, admittingly, and he hoped that this would aid in his mission to seduce his boss. The only issue was that Peter had lost track of his fertile week. Why would he when his encounters with Tony were limited to marathon oral sessions? Oral sessions which made Peter feel like a quick fuck but were useful distractions from the troubles of his day-to-day. To be truthful, Tony probably saw it more as a hobby to call on Peter. But it was now Peter’s goal to see to it that the millionaire would need him more and more.

At least, for the moment, Peter was sure that Tony’s love life was monopolized by him. Tony’s conversation with the angry and disappointed Pepper Potts had confirmed that. She admitted that she caught one of Peter and Tony’s rendezvous and was keeping the secret from the rest of the world. However, she only asked for two things: for Tony to be under no illusions about the illegality of his actions and for him to cease all “meetings” with Peter effective immediately. Tony may have been an immoral, thirsty bastard but Peter had no idea what he was doing. All he wanted to do was feel special and wanted. Wanted by a man who was untouchable and powerful and knew how to make Peter feel just as important as himself. But satiating this desire came at a high cost for all involved.

Peter stepped outside and called back to his aunt, telling her not to wait up for him. He assured her that he would be in safe hands and would return the next morning. He felt a pang of guilt from tricking her but it was for the best. Aunt May wouldn’t be able to handle the truth about Peter’s real relationship with Tony; how Peter was Tony’s greatest and only love. For now, he wanted only to think about the ways in which Tony would change Peter’s life throughout their relationship. He yearned for the different, exhilarating fantasies. He craved the possibilities. He wanted it all.

**

“For God’s sake, restrain yourself, Tony. You’ve had enough for three people.”

Pepper tried to casually take the bottle from the man, who was already losing his composure in front of the guests.

“Look, Pepper. It’s my party and I’ll drink if I want to...You get that reference, right?” he didn’t wait for an answer as he took the bottle back and drank directly from it, not giving a damn about his image.

Pepper stepped in closer, “Do it for Peter, at least.”

Tony paused, surprised that he had forgotten the boy. He swallowed quickly and wiped the drippings of alcohol from his lips with his thumb.

“Is he here yet? Where i...Where is he?”

Pepper gestured to a corner. “He’s been waiting for hours. Surely you remember that he came to see you?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m heading over there, I think I know what he needs.”

“Oh, Tony! Don’t go talk to him, especially not in the state you’re in. You know how many eyes are on you right now! And many of these eyes have cameras. It’d be impossible for me to distract all of them if they catch you heading off with Pet—”

“Do I look like I care? Look at me. Do I look like I care? I can buy every camera here and every one of their owners a vacation to Dubai. Don’t worry. You don’t get paid to do that...Unless I tell you to.”

Pepper cut in front of him and her blue eyes flashed fiercely. “No, Tony. I think I know what he needs. For you to leave him alone. He’s a child and you know that you’re taking advantage of naivety. You’re playing him.”

Tony stared at the blonde and admired her audacity.

“I didn’t force him to kiss me the first time,” In a bold move, he took her by the chin and leaned in closely. Pepper cringed as his alcohol-saturated breath brushed her face.

“He could have rejected me. He could have turned tail and ran. He could have easily told someone what happened. But he didn’t. He stayed and waited for more...well, you know.”

Pepper pulled back from Tony’s grasp, far more disgusted than she had been before. “I am telling you, Tony...don’t get into trouble. Don’t hurt him. He shouldn’t have to suffer just because you’re horny and bored. Unlike you, he’s beginning to take this relationship seriously. It’s not a game to him. It never was.”

“Aww, did my baby catch feelings,” Tony cooed sarcastically. “How sweet of him! Look, even if I tried, I couldn’t force someone to fall in love with me. Well, at least that’s what my therapist told me.

“Besides,” he said, taking Pepper’s chin in hand once more, this time so tightly that Pepper had to shake his hold. “Peter’s not just any kid. He’s a borderline genius. He’s old enough and smart enough to decide what he wants to do and obviously he’s made up his mind.”

“Tony! For Christ’s sake! What are you not getting about this?” Pepper said through clenched teeth.

He scoffed, “What I’m not getting is why you think you’re going to deter me. Look at it this way: If I’m his first, then whoever follows can say that Peter knows how to do things that not every kid his age can in bed. And hopefully, if he trusts them enough, I’ll be given credit! Now, drop the self-righteous act, alright?”

Silently, Pepper tightened her lips. Hurt flickered across her face as she hurried away. Without so much as a second thought, Tony took a few more swigs and eventually found his way over to where Peter was cornered.

**

“Are you having fun, honey?”

Peter, surprised by his sudden arrival, looked down shyly from the sight of Tony standing over him.

“Uh, good evening, Mr. Stark,” he replied.

Tony plucked a champagne flute from the tray of a passing waiter and held it out to Peter. “Mm...I like it better when you say ‘You’re so big, daddy’ or ‘Tony, give it all to me,’ Don’t be so formal.”

Peter fidgeted and felt a familiar fluttering in his stomach, made worse when Tony insistently pressed the glass against Peter’s lips. Peter put a hand in-between his mouth and the glass, afraid to push it away but still not wanting to drink.

“Oh God, you too? Everyone is so uptight tonight. C’mon, you won’t end up in handcuffs over a sip.”

When Peter didn’t respond, Tony cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Really, Peter? Are you going to reject me?”

Without looking up, Peter accepted the glass. And then another. And another. And another. All at Stark’s urging.

When Tony was certain that the crowd lost interest in him, he signaled to Peter to go up to his room. “I’ll be there in a minute,” He assured him.

Peter nodded and slipped into the hallway, his heart threatening to self-destruct any minute.

Take it easy, Peter. This is supposed to be the best night of your life. Don’t go into cardiac arrest. It’s not that scary...you’ve done it before, he thought as he dried his sweaty hands on his suit jacket. But the drinks had kicked in minutes before and this feeling was new. He struggled to maintain his composure while stumble-shuffling down the hallway while simultaneously trying to steady the waving of the room around him. Thankfully, all of the guests were too busy making small talk with each other and nobody was paying attention to him.

“Peter Parker?”

Spoke too soon.

Peter casually turned around, chest out and hands placed firmly on his hips. His head was slightly tilted to the right but it was the best he could do given the circumstances.

“M-Mr. Beck? Hi! I...what are you doing out here?” Peter asked, hoping that Beck would leave before his dizziness got worse.

“Just got lost looking for the bathroom. Did you?”

Peter was silent for a moment as he attempted to conjure up a believable story. Beck stood silently as well, confusion growing on his face.

“Uh, yeah. Something like that.”

“Well, I can tell you it’s not over there. You can follow me or…” He gestured behind himself.

Peter tried to mask his nervousness when he saw Quentin’s expectant smile. “Ah, actually, Mr. Stark sent me to grab something from his room for him.”

Quentin couldn’t hide his sneer when his boss’s name was mentioned. “Ugh. I forgot that you’re his new right-hand man. That’s probably why Potts is so pissy. But if you want your industry to grow, you gotta make room for new talent. Anyway, it was great meeting you again. Hopefully one day we can get together and brainstorm”

Quentin approached Peter and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Because between you and me, I’m running out of creative juice and I know that your designs for Stark immediately become successes. Do you get paid royalties for your designs that are created and launched on the market?”

Peter smiled even wider, trying to hide his tipsiness. “Yep, I sure do. It’s pretty cool.”

“Huh,” Quentin nodded. “Then it won’t be long before I catch you on the cover of Forbes. Take care of yourself! It was nice seeing you here! Oh, and seriously, I hope we can have a coffee and chat a little in the near future.”

Peter waited for Quentin to round the corner before he looked around, checking for any other strays that may have wanted to talk. With the coast clear, he entered Tony’s room and was greeted by a surprise. Tiny rose petals led up to silk sheets laid immaculately on the large bed.

The best was yet to come.


	3. Three

When he opened his eyes, the candles had already burned out and the sweet scent of melted wax told him that hours had passed. His heart couldn’t help but hurt thinking that Tony had forgotten about him. Peter was a fool thinking that Tony would make him anything close to a high priority and deluded if he thought he could even try to fit in.

It was a painful truth to swallow. Peter couldn’t understand how things had escalated so quickly and how he easily played right into the game Tony was playing. He admired Tony in an obsessive way and when Peter’s name appeared on the potential candidates’ list, his emotions were indescribable. But the euphoria quickly made way for fear. All of the candidates, being older and more experienced, had filled in the spots in Tony’s workforce. Peter was the only one left. Maybe he wasn’t as close to his idol as he once thought. However, in time, the cards changed in his favor.

Tony showed more interest in Peter with each passing week, taking note of Peter’s grand ideas which came to fruition due to Tony pushing his crew harder than before. This especially meant that Tony’s engineer, Quentin Beck, was to work at double the pace. Peter’s work was never credited simply on the grounds that he was still a minor. As soon as he was eighteen, however, Tony promised that he’d be given the acknowledgment he deserved for the favors done for the company. But it was Peter who felt that his new boss was doing him a favor; Peter was learning from Tony and that was enough to satisfy him. But the occasional compliment Peter was awarded didn’t hurt.

Then one day, he found himself with Tony’s tongue on the back of his own. And he let it happen.

“I love you, Peter.”

He knew something would happen when he took this job with Tony Stark. And scarily enough, it was exactly what he wanted.

Delicate kisses became full-body caresses. Then Tony’s lips trailed lower and lower until Peter had no choice than to succumb to an orgasm right there in his mentor’s office.

It was supposed to be a secret but the ever-keen eye of Pepper Potts had caught them in the act. Peter was mortified, but Tony? He didn’t know the meaning of the word. As Pepper’s face burned hotter than a poker, Tony couldn’t help but laugh at the two’s horror. She left and without skipping a beat, Tony turned back to Peter and asked him to return the favor with no concern for Peter’s own feelings. Peter was forced to devour him until he memorized his taste, something he didn’t quite like the first time. But the feeling stuck and oh, how he remembered.

These meetings persisted for months, out of view of anyone and so perfectly timed that not a single person suspected a thing. They were brief but heavy and left both satisfied with the way things were progressing. The only thing that could squander this whole situation would be if a certain blonde-haired confidant were to spill the truth. But, as loyal as ever, Potts kept the secret under lock and key. From the fear of being fired or for being called an enabler, who knew for certain. So instead, Pepper took it in her hands to instill some common sense into the young hero’s head.

“I get that you think Tony is the best thing that could happen to you. I totally understand it; I’ve been there myself,” Pepper said. “But Peter, please know that Tony’s intentions are not always morally sound. He can make or break lives” —she snapped her fingers— “like this if he wanted to. The only reason that he hasn’t ruined yours is that you entertain him. So I say this in the nicest way possible: don’t get too excited. You’re expendable.”

Peter shook his head. “Expendable? I mean, I guess I could be but you haven’t seen the way that Mr. Stark treats me. He listens to my ideas, he takes time out of his day to...well...spend it with me. I have to be somewhat important if a powerful guy like him spends his energy on me.”

“I…” Pepper rolled and closed her eyes. “You’re so young...You just don’t know, Peter, and I know damn well I can’t stop you from staying with Tony. But I’m cheering you on in the wings. At any time, I’ll fight for you, but you’ve got to step in the ring with me. We can work on forging you an actual future. A future sans Stark. Don’t stay here. Don’t let him get the best of you. What you have isn’t going to end well for anyone involved, especially for you at ground zero.”

But how sincere was Pepper’s warning? At the end of the day, she was still right by Mr. Stark’s side. She benefitted from him just as much as Peter did. Hell, probably even more due to him being her sole source of income. She had spent years serving him unconditionally and bending over backward just to get him what he wanted. Jealousy could be brewing under her surface; envy over Peter’s relationship with Mr. Stark could be fueling her desperate pleas to Peter. But Peter didn’t care. A relationship like his and Tony’s was rare. The time and energy spent on building up trust and rapport with Mr. Stark were too much to even make him consider leaving. Mission “Capture Tony’s Heart” was so close to being complete and if Pepper was so against it, she had the autonomy to leave Stark Industries for good. At least that’s what Peter would tell himself after every encounter with the assistant.

But it was all a front. The constant reminders from Pepper left his heart heavy while doubts swirled and bubbled and burned inside his head. Just remembering that conversation caused Peter to cry silently as he huddled himself deep within the silk sheets. The thought of just running home crossed his mind but was interrupted by the sudden jiggling of the doorknob.

After a few awkward slips and twists of the knob, the door swung open and in sauntered Tony, smiling as if nothing had happened. The draft of air produced carried a heavy smell of alcohol, making it obvious that Tony didn’t stop drinking, even after Peter left.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter sniffled. “I’m...going to leave.” Peter was beginning to pull himself out of bed when Tony threw his arms roughly around him and squeezed him so hard that Peter wheezed out a protesting grunt. And for the first time, Peter wanted nothing more than to escape his embrace.

Tony ran his hand clumsily through Peter’s hair. “Shhh...It’s okay. I’m here now.” But Peter remained silent. That’s when Tony noticed the tears staining Peter’s red, splotchy face. He took his tongue and ran it lewdly up the boy’s face and followed up by pressing his body harder against Peter’s.

“You know I hate to see you cry, kid. Trust me, I di—I didn’t forget about you. I couldn’t.”

At this point, Tony was gripping Peter’s thin frame so tightly that Peter could feel his own ribs begin to bend inward. Eventually, he forced an arm up in-between him and Tony and slid out of his hold. As soon as Peter stumbled backward onto the bed once more, Tony hurried to get on top and slid his hands under Peter’s dress shirt.

“Stop it, Peter. We’ll play that game when I want to. Let’s just give us what we were waiting for, yeah? There’s so much I want to give you tonight. So much.”

Peter cocked his head away from Tony’s alcohol-coated lips. This only managed to get himself a bite and slow lick up the front of his neck which left thick, almost mucus-like saliva running down the sides.

“No...I’m asking you to just...stop! I don’t want it like this, please, not…” Peter protested, still squirming on his back like a fussy infant.

Tony placed more weight on Peter’s chest. “Yeah, you do. Trust me. Daddy wants to love you all night, just like this.”

With bared teeth, Peter tried in vain to stop the tears from starting up again. The realization that there was no stopping this combined with the smell of drunkenness on Tony’s body made him gag.

Tony noticed and again tried to kiss him. His lips had no set target as they went all over Peter’s face and neck and collarbone.

And when Tony began to undress him, all Peter could do was close his eyes. And when Tony took a hold of Peter’s body and recklessly forced himself inside of him, Peter could do nothing but grasp the sheets and stifle the groans of pain that washed over him with every push.

That night would be truly unforgettable, but not in the way Peter had wanted.


	4. Four

Peter woke up and made himself some coffee.

“You’re exaggerating.”

Those two words echoed in his mind. Not in Tony’s voice but his own.

It had been a few months since their previous meeting which left him wary. But now, he was unsure of how he felt. The meetings had been going on for six or so months and with time, his feelings for Tony nothing more than an amorphous, shifting blob of emotions. There was uncertainty but there was also excitement. There was disgust but there was also admiration. And eventually, the formless mass took shape and became lust. There would be no more crying and confusion at the hands of his lover.

All he wanted was to be at the mercy of Tony’s uncontrollable appetite and to know that all of his mentor’s attention was his. The gifts he received at school and at home when his aunt was away only confirmed how strong the bond was between them. Pepper had dropped the sermons and the appointment with Quentin never happened, mostly because he was forced to leave Tony’s company.

Peter sipped his coffee for a few minutes before suddenly running to the sink to vomit. He took a minute to let the discomfort subside and without giving it much more thought, prepared for school. All morning, however, he was on the lookout for the text messages being sent to him by his older lover.

The first appeared during second period: “What do you think of my new desk? I bought it to test out little desperate boys…’

Peter was able to suppress the embarrassment he felt upon receiving the message but struggled when a photo came in. A very, very suggestive photo followed by, “I can let you sit on top of it or on top of me. You decide. See you at eight.”

Peter was thinking of responding then a wave of nausea hit, forcing him to run to the bathroom. He was there long enough to hear the bell ring and he headed back to class to collect his things. But the peace of mind didn’t last for long. Fear washed over him as he realized that the worst possibility came to fruition.

He refused to wait until eight o’clock to confront Tony as anxiety was already sending him into a spiral. Peter left school and took a taxi to make a mandatory stop at the pharmacy. At the counter, the cashier gave him a knowing nod and wished him luck as she scanned his item. Peter returned a half-smile and left hurriedly, not knowing how to process the situation. He couldn’t explain it to himself, let alone anyone else.

His body had been trembling for the past few blocks and as he entered Stark’s building, his body felt like it was going to shatter any moment. He headed up towards Tony’s floor and took a sharp turn into the bathroom before anyone else could get in. Anxiously, he waited for his suspicions to be confirmed. And minutes later, they were.

Oh shit. Aunt May is going to kill me. Two vertical lines appeared on the plastic stick he held in his sweating hand, telling him exactly what he thought. He placed his head in his hands and stifled a sigh. His mind raced back to when this could have happened. Maybe he had a window of time left.

**

“I’m sorry, kid. I got nada. Don’t kids your age carry them around anyway?”

Peter huffed as he climbed off Tony’s sweaty body. He searched through his backpack for a condom but had no luck.

“Nothing. Are you sure you don’t have anything? Isn’t that box supposed to be full?”

“It was supposed to, but someone always wants more and more, hmm? We’ve been out for a while now.”

Peter sat on the edge of the bed, brows furrowed. “Then...God. We were lucky that time.”

“And the time before that. And the time before that, too.”

Peter bit his lip. He couldn’t stay mad. At least not when Tony was involved. Tony had changed; he had become sweeter and more considerate over time. Peter couldn’t say for sure that Tony had fallen in love but he had no doubts that there was something new between the two. He felt as though he had more say in what was going on; he could question and maybe even defy Tony. He decided to toe the waters first.

“You know you could have gotten some at any time. You have more money than I’ll ever see in my life. But you’ve been busy with more important things, I’m assuming.’

Tony raised his brows and chuckled. “Getting bold, huh? Yeah, I’ve been a busy man and some things just slip my mind. What’s wrong with that, dear?”

Peter lay next to Tony and smiled. “Well, dear, if we were careful enough, then protection really didn’t matter. I’ve kept track of my fertile days and none of our meetings landed on them.”

Tony turned to him and smiled. “So no need for a quick convenience store run?”

Peter shook his head. Seeing his mentor’s perfect body made him forget everything else and he began to touch himself with lust and desire. “We’ll be okay this time, too. Unless you’re too afraid of what could happen...”

Tony advanced slowly until he climbed back on top of Peter and between his legs. Peter’s face was already shaky and his cheeks were red, reminding Tony of a fragile little china doll.

“I want you to know that I’ll never leave you. Look how you have me going crazy for you. The last thing I want is for me to lose all of this.”

Peter put his arms around Tony's neck as he felt Tony’s steady hands grab his hips and he went deeper into his burning body. The soft kisses Tony left on his neck made him close his eyes and take in deep breaths.

“Do you know how beautiful you’d look with a baby inside of you? My baby?”

Peter didn’t answer. He let himself get carried away by that rhythmic and passionate sway which showed him that Tony really had changed. And maybe Peter made Tony yearn for things that he’d never even thought of.

**

“Are you serious? You’re leaving?”

Pepper gave him a look she never had given before. “It says ‘irrevocable’ there. We both know what that means.”

“That it does, Pepper,” Tony said, reading the paper with one eyebrow cocked. “But let’s be honest. Where’re you even gonna go, huh? What place around here can suit you, and pay you, better than Stark Industries?”

Pepper jabbed the air with her finger. “That right there, Tony. That’s your problem. You think that anything and everything can be solved with money. And you may not think so, but there are things out there that weigh far more heavily on my decisions than money.”

Tony stared at her over the top of his glasses. “What, dignity? Did the little voice in your head pipe up this morning? Or did you fall in the tub and have a moral epiphany?”

Silence fell and the tension between the two was palpable.

“Well, I’m leaving, so you have free rein to mock me all you want. But at least I have the decency not to fuck a child.” Pepper said, her last words soaked in loathing. “You’ve cheated Peter of his innocence. He’s now so deluded that he thinks he’s your boyfriend and you string him along like a little lap dog and—”

Tony scoffed.

“My...boyfriend? No, no, no. He’s not my boyfriend. Ugh, sounds like a grade-school relationship…. See, Pep, unlike you, I have nothing to lose. What’s going to happen to me? At the worst, he ends up getting into a fuss—like you—and storms off to spread the word about our little affair. However, he works for me and, as you know, I’ve had people try to slander me in the past because I’ve slighted them somehow.

“And because there’s no proof, his claim could be passed off as just another attempt to bring down the playboy/billionaire/philanthropist Tony Stark.” He shrugged. “But Peter is my little lap dog. And like a well-trained puppy, he’ll be right by my side. No skin off my back.”

Pepper had regained composure at that point and she held her head high, dignified as ever.

“Mmhmm. That's why I'm leaving. I'm not willing to see how you pull strings or how you take advantage of your position as you did with me. No offense, but watching your puppet show will bore me after a while.”

Tony's face changed to one that caused Pepper to shift.

“If keeping everything operating the way I want it to bores you, then so be it. All I know is that what I do, every move I make, is planned. Usually. I’ve thought through everything I’m going to do with Peter. From when I started to when I’ll stop. Just like you and Beck and everyone else under me, Peter has something to offer and I’m taking it. In fact, he has a lot to offer. One could even say he has more to offer than a certain blonde assistant we all know and love.”

Pepper blinked, face twisted into an indignant frown

“Believe you me, when I get my use out of him, he’ll be free to web sling away. Obviously right now, I’ll need to keep him around. Not just for fun but to fill the hole that’s about to be present.” Tony took a tablet off of his desk and scrolled through it.

“You’re not going to intimidate me with a little boy, Tony. You’re an idiot if you think you can. I could do this job with my eyes closed if I wanted to.”

When he was done, Tony place the tablet back on the desk and slowly approached Pepper. The closer he got, the taller Pepper tried to make herself seem. But there was no way to daunt Tony Stark.

He got right on top of Pepper before grabbing her shoulder, squeezing it so tightly that Pepper could feel bruises forming on her skin.

“Too bad it’s not yours anymore.”

Pepper pulled herself free and her face began to redden as she held back furious tears.

“Well, Virginia, I’ll send your severance in the mail. Although I think with everything you’ve been siphoning off for weeks, you’ve had your pay.”

Pepper gasped indignantly. “I’m sorry, what are you trying to say?”

“Tell me something, Pepper,” Tony said, sitting back on the edge of his desk. “Did Quentin know you were planning to keep his projects and patents for yourself? Did he know that you were the saboteur that caused his downfall? Did our ex-collaborator know that you had been scheming to get him fired before you even had my say-so?”

“What the hell? Tony, you know that’s not true! Let me explain!” The blonde cried.

Tony turned around to get a drink, unconvinced that she had anything good to say.

“What exactly are you going to explain to me? That you acted on your own to harm his career and simultaneously leave me one man short? Because that’s why he left, and let it be clear that I didn’t fire him yet he’s been laying the blame at my door which—newsflash—doesn’t look good to the public. You can’t get away with a wrist slap this time, Pepper. You’re not that great.”

Pepper clamored again, trying to explain her reasoning before Tony could stop her. He began to laugh as he sipped on his drink.

“Pepper, I’m sorry but I just can’t take your word for it! You did what you did because you wanted to. You probably thought that it’d make me turn around and change my sinful ways, right?” Tony pointed to the door behind Pepper. “Do me a favor; stay quiet and see yourself out. You probably should start from zero; find a nice little job as a secretary at a law firm and lay low. Cuz if you try to get in my way again, I have enough ammo to get you blacklisted in this state.”

Pepper lowered her head so Tony wouldn’t see the tears that were wetting her hot cheeks. With her confidence gone and ego deflated, she took off out of the office, avoiding eye contact with her ex-boss.

The door slammed shut and Tony dialed Beck’s number. In addition to the fury felt from his right-hand woman playing him for a fool, he had to pretend that Beck’s immediate turn-down of Tony’s offer didn’t hurt (turns out being blunt is only fun if you’re on the giving end). So Tony had no choice but to lock himself in his office and think about how this pair of absences would be a hard blow to his company.

He also thought of Peter and how everything was at least fitting into place on that front. The submissive disposition his lover always displayed was something Tony wanted to exploit for as long as he could. To ensure that, he would have to reward him with something and luckily that something had been left by Tony’s ex-assistant. If all were to fall into place, Tony would have Peter in his hands while both continued to play the mating game with each other. Maybe Tony would truly become the soft, loving, caring man that Peter believed him to be. But for the time being, Peter would have to be kept in Tony’s arms through deceit.

Peter’s talent and youth would be his to own.


	5. Five

“Okay, so how many weeks do you have or days or whatever you measure that?”

Peter took back that pregnancy test from the marble desk.

“I don´t know. I just knew today, a few hours ago…”

Tony took a puff from the cigar in his mouth. The surprises did not stop during that day and he had to avoid them in the best possible way.

“But are you sure? Why don't you take a blood test? Sometimes those cheap things fail”.

Peter looked up. His eyes were red.

"What am I going to tell May?"

Tony took a deep breath and after exhaling the smoke, he reached for his glass of whiskey.

“Honestly, I don’t know”.

Peter found a tissue to clean himself.

"I thought you maybe...”

“What? You thought that I was going to be happy? You obviously don't know me, Peter”.

The boy felt the blood rush to his temples and tried not to get overly excited.

"Tony, you once told me that...”

"You know I say many things and more when I'm drunk or joking," he said as he filled his glass for the umpteenth time.

Peter felt his heart break.

“You are kidding, right, Tony?”, said Peter trying to convince himself that it was a very bad joke. The worst of all he had ever heard.

Tony walked over to Peter and stared at him.

"Could it be that maybe you're trying to see me putting a stupid face, huh?" Is this test really yours or did you get it elsewhere? Because for today I had enough, got it?”

The boy did not understand the reason for Tony's attitude. He never thought to hear him doubt him.

“It is mine. I took it today because I felt bad in the morning and I've been trying for days to think that I felt bad because...”

Tony put the glass down on the huge new desk and took Peter by the chin.

"Stop playing games with me and tell me the truth. Are you expecting a child? Are you really pregnant”

"Yes," Peter replied, feeling the millionaire hold him tight.

"And you say it's mine."

“Yes!” Peter yelled when he felt the grip pick up and hurt.

Tony released him abruptly.

"Just like you slept with me without protecting yourself, who doesn't guarantee me you haven't done it before with someone else?"

Peter was silent, feeling the tears begin to flow.

"If what you're saying is true, well, good luck then", Tony said, adjusting his tie and looking for his jacket, "We are going to do a DNA test when that baby is born and matter resolved, but don´t expect more than I am going to give you to raise him or her. But if not, which is the most possible thing, you better go looking for the true father of that child. I don’t know why everyone has to make my day a shitty day today. I just don´t get it. I´m done”.

Peter followed Tony with his eyes as he moved toward the exit.

“Why do you say that?” He asked, his chin trembling with tears and helplessness.

Tony paused in the doorway.

"Because sooner or later the truth comes out. Curiously, the people I have trusted the most have found this mania for believing that I´m like a dancing monkey for them or something like that. Could it be that Quentin, Pepper and you agreed to screw my day and then get a big slice of all this? Because I really would not be surprised by a handful of mediocre and lively people like you, who are the ones I have trusted the most and the ones I have helped the most for a long time. Or are you going to tell me that you haven't been showing off in your school about that you work for me? Are you going to tell me that you never in your stupid short life had fantasized about sitting in my chair? Are you going to deny me that you don't feel superior to many others because at your age you have what many others don't?

Peter tried to string the words together as the trembling in his body increased.

"Tony, I would never do that to you and you know it!" I would never take advantage of you because I love you and I…!”

The millionaire sighed as he pinched the septum of his nose.

"No, Peter. Stop it, I don´t want to see you never again in my life. Your scholarship and your internship are canceled right now. Unless you insist and prove all this bullshit is true, and if you are seriously going to need for medical expenses and all that stuff, you call human resources and just send the bills to have a check sent to you, but if not, you better get lost forever, I don't want to see you again. Close the door when you leave”.

Peter clung to the desk feeling a huge lump tighten in his throat and he couldn't breathe when he saw Tony leaving him alone in his office. Peter didn´t react, he couldn´t. Peter became aware of himself when he felt one of the night shift guards grab him by the shoulder and escort him out into the street. He didn't even know how he got home and he didn´t care for his aunt's worried screams on the other side of the door, when he locked himself in his room. He just lay down on bed and cried until he fell asleep.

He didn´t know why Tony reacted like that.


	6. Six

Tony blew out the candles and a committee of guests bursted into applause. Gone were the scandalous and ostentatious parties attended by guests the world over. Tony was brand new and the last thing he wanted was to be reminded of how many fake, opportunistic people he was once surrounded by.

After the first piece of cake was sliced, the party began. It was mostly chatting; vacations, jobs, relationships, gossip. Small talk was the most he could handle for a long while. Before the clock struck midnight, he excused himself and retired to his room where he sat on the balcony for some time.

It had a beautiful view of the ocean; nothing but the best scenery for a man of high status such as himself. The water was dark, save for the sliver of moonlight that broke through the clouds above and reflected off the waves. Beneath him, behind a white stone wall, were intricate sand sculptures of all types. His favorite was the woman lying supine with her hands folded on her stomach. Her hair splayed outwards and looped into all sorts of shapes and objects; flowers, clocks, hearts, swords. He was sure it meant something profound but the alcohol put him in no mood for English class discussions. His eyes wandered back to the ocean where he sat gazing for some time. It was almost hypnotic how the waves pushed and pulled against the shore. Tony could only imagine what it would feel like to just lie down and let the waves take him out to sea. Drifting away at the whim of the tides seemed almost...freeing. To be nothing more than a speck in the unfathomably vast stretch of blue was enough to make his heart ache in envy.

A waiter knocked on the door to offer him one last drink.

“Ah, no. Thank you. Say, are the rest of you guys already gone?” Tony asked, stepping out of his room to look over the railing at the crowd. The last of the guests were trickling out of the door, saying their goodbyes, and planning their own meet-ups for the following weeks.

“No, sir. My coworkers are still finishing up with the cleaning. Is something wrong?”

“No, everything is alright, uh...what’s your name?”

“Harley, sir.”

“Harley, yeah,” Tony paused before reaching into his blazer pocket and pulling out a sizeable bundle of bills, handing them to the man whose eyes were wide open. “A little tip for you and your crew. Hope it’s good.”

The waiter nodded and left with a small bow. Tony stepped out to the balcony once more, drawing in a slow breath. Despite the night being one he quite enjoyed, one person never left his mind. He remembered his body when he ran his hands across the sheets and he could see his doe eyes and brown hair in the young waiter who served him. Tony’s mind often did this: remind him of the boy he once could squeeze in his arms whenever he wanted. Years had passed, he told himself. Peter moved on and so should he.

It was clear how well Peter was doing when Tony’s limo passed him one afternoon. He was sat outside a cafe, laughing and glowing with excitement. He looked sweet, just how Tony remembered, but his sweetness was now paired with something new. It took a moment to realize but Tony could see it in Peter’s demeanor. He carried himself so well; shoulders lifted, head held high, eyes sparkling in the streams of sunlight breaking through the trees nearby. The something new was self-confidence. Tony couldn’t help but smile at this bittersweet revelation. It was him that kept Peter back, wasn’t it? Of course. He was fooling himself in thinking that his influence was what kept Peter afloat during their time together. Peter was always able to make his own decisions and take charge of his future. Tony took advantage of that drive.

Tony felt an overwhelming desire to run to Peter and apologize for all the things he influenced Peter to do. But when he caught a glimpse of Peter’s two other accomplices, his buzz was killed. It was Pepper and Quentin and they looked just as happy as Peter did.

Damn. Tony rubbed his earlobe and snorted.

Despite being proud of Peter’s newfound self-love, Tony couldn’t shake the palpable envy that was brewing. And the other side of his brain (the one that nursed his ego and pride) did not allow him to see the reality of things. Actions performed by others were either aggressive or useful for his business; basically, the mindset of any successful businessman.

He thought about pouring himself a drink, but he had been sober for some time and he didn't want that torrent of memories to oblige him to sacrifice what had really cost him work.

**

“It's no big deal," Tony muttered as he searched his dresser for pajamas. Another night sleeping alone. Well, it wasn’t as if Tony was forced to sleep alone. The title of playboy wasn’t an exaggeration. Over the years, he had played the field. So much so that he had every inch memorized. Each time he had a streak of horniness, his bed would be a playground for anyone to play in. Two, three, four, five; didn’t matter how many or at what time. Hell, he would have full-on orgies that were whispered about through the grapevine, luring more interested souls to his chamber.

But it all felt so empty. The touches felt cold. The kisses tasted bitter. The embraces were tight but lifeless. Nothing could replicate what he got from Peter all those years ago. Even in the throes of passion, Tony’s mind wandered back to Peter’s tender skin and chestnut eyes. The thoughts of Peter’s soft, pink lips wrapped around his length made his heart thump harder than any other lover could make it.

What turned out to be the biggest problem, however, matter how much Tony had entertained himself with the lewd thoughts of his boy toy, the image of Peter’s red, splotchy face and small body that shook with rage was the most vivid memory he had of their time together. He had analyzed that scene more times than he liked to admit, flipping and turning and pulling it apart until each second had been scrubbed clean of his own intentions and motivations.

Maybe what he said about the baby was true. There was no denying that Peter had clung to Tony like a child to its mother. Would Peter dare stray from the man who gave him a life which he couldn’t dream of having on his own? Tony’s body was the one Peter worshipped. Why would he decide to leave him for some random, let alone get himself knocked up by them?

As Tony lie questioning his past, the devil on his shoulder was whispering furiously in his ear, struggling to convince him that he made the best choice in the matter. “You’re so smart! You were right the whole time! Don’t lose sleep over it”, it said. “Their betrayal was their fault. You’re the victim here”. He closed his eyes, wanting nothing more for the truth to fade back into the lies he once believed. He wanted his exhaustion to be so heavy that he forgot everything that happened that fateful day. He wanted his sleep to be deep...or maybe even permanent.

He had so many reasons to let go; to just surrender to it all and admit that there was no amount of money or armor that could render him invincible to the battles waging inside his head.

Thousands of days had passed but none of them were spent not missing Peter. Not a single one. Tony loved him and he wanted him back. The years of yearning for what he once had had left him broken, anxious, and Stark raving mad with desire. But that night, it left him feeling like the most pathetic bastard on the planet.

**

“Cancel my appointments. I’m not here.” Tony swept back his hair and straightened his tie while he scanned the hallway for any new updates made in his absence.

“Oh! Mr. Stark, good morning! You weren’t supposed to be back until the end of the month, right?” his assistant questioned as she flipped through sticky notes on her clipboard. Her high heels clicked rapidly on the marble as she scurried to catch up to him.

Tony cocked his head as he massaged his neck. He was more tense than usual. “There was an unexpected surprise on my end,” he murmured.

The assistant nodded, marking something down. “I was able to reach Ms. Virginia Potts but when I mentioned your name, she hung up. I left a few voicemails and emails but she never got back to me. I’m sorry.”

He entered his office, his eyes immediately drawn to his infamous desk. “Keep insisting, Nat. We’ll get her to break soon enough.”

The woman nodded and scribbled onto another sticky note beneath her papers before taking her phone out of her suit jacket pocket.

Tony folded his arms and bit the inside of his lip as he looked around his office. Despite it being the place he came to almost every day, he couldn’t stop the stress from building up at the sight of it all. It was almost like the room was painted with bad memories.

“Mr. Stark, your doctor, Dr. Stephen, just called. He says you missed the appointment you had two weeks ago and wants to know if you have time to go today.”

Tony turned to his assistant, pulling his eyes away from the walls slowly.

“Uh...no,” he said, still lost in thought. “I’m not dying so what’s the rush. Tell him to schedule it for sometime next month.”

Nat looked at him with concern. “Forgive me for prying, but are feeling okay right now? You look a bit off...”

Tony feigned a smile, blaming his condition on the jet lag he got coming back from his vacation. Dismissing her subsequent insistence on seeing his doctor, Tony shooed his assistant out of the room and locked the door. Immediately, he began combing through the drawers beside his desk until he produced a small silk pouch. Inside was something he knew he should have thrown away years ago: the infamous pregnancy test. He had kept it all these years as he fooled himself in believing he’d ever speak to Peter again.

“Becoming sentimental now, old man?” he asked himself, shoving the bag and its contents back into the drawer. Tony’s mind wandered back to everything he once felt. Finally accepting the fact that he may have been wrong wasn’t getting any easier; he never expected it to. It made his chest ache still. Liquor wasn’t fixing anything. Neither was sex. And no matter how many projects he took on to distract himself, the hole was still there, permanent and deep...He needed… something. To end this whole thing, to finish it up, to finally get an answer, no matter what it was. What was the word?

Closure. That’s what he needed. Closure.

“Nat,” he called out into the hallway “Get a car here ASAP. I have a meeting to get to.”


	7. Seven

Tony grimaced as he caught his reflection in the windows beside him on the terrace. His age was showing. Grey hairs lined his sideburns and popped up in his slicked hairdo like weeds in a garden. His health was getting progressively worse as time went on and his hair was the least of his worries. His face was littered with wrinkles and red spots from God knows where. His eyes, once lively and sharp, were now sunken with boredom and weariness.

“The only reason I came is because I’m tired of you fucking around with me. I mean, I could easily get a restraining order.” A familiar voice called out.

Tony hopped to his feet and extended a hand when he saw Pepper saunter up. As she leaned in to shake his hand, he couldn’t help but notice that time had held her in its graces far more than him. It seemed, at most, like it’d been a year for her physically-speaking. Her hair was that natural blonde it always had been but was now accented by a tasteful strawberry ombre and pulled neatly into a french braid. There were a few fine lines on her face, sure, but he could tell that stress wasn’t the cause of them; they were shallow and subtle and added a bit of graceful maturity to her look. And even in a light yellow sundress, Pepper held herself with suit-and-tie confidence. It was borderline disheartening.

“Pleased to see you come, Pep. Thanks for, y’know, not leaving me hanging,” Tony said with his billion-dollar smile.

Pepper wasn’t amused.

“So,” Tony sat back down, his smile faltering. “Anything to drink?”

“No. I’m in a hurry. I have a dance class at five and I was late last time. Not a good look.” She looked at her phone, having yet to sit.

“Stubborn bitch,” Tony muttered. Pepper cocked an eyebrow in response.

“Look,” he sighed. “I’ll be brief: I want to know how Parker’s doing.”

Pepper scoffed and clicked her tongue. “I’m sorry, I never got the memo that I was your informant again. I may have helped you years ago but with my employment also went my loyalty. Get your new little helper elf to do that shit for you.”

“We’re not that close, Pep. What you and I had was unique. I just don’t have that level of sureness with any of my other employees, ” Tony said, hoping he wouldn’t have to abse himself too much to earn her interest.

“Then you should trust your staff more. Maybe this time around you’ll appreciate their loyalty and not chuck them out following a barrage of bold accusations and finger-pointing. Newsflash, Tony: 99% of people aren’t here to watch you fail. You’re just a source of income and nothing more.”

A waiter came by and handed Tony his coffee. He mumbled another insult into the cup and grimaced when a few grounds went down his throat.

“It’s not that. I just like to keep a few things in reserve, is all.”

“Uh-huh,” Pepper said, tapping her fingers against her folded arms.

Okay, so Tony was going to have to work for her empathy.

“Well, I guess I should just cut to the chase”.

She stared down her nose at him with an unyielding stone face. But for a split second, when the words left his mouth, Tony could see a flicker of fear light up her eyes. The two sat in silence for what seemed like a lifetime and just before Tony could spit out a sarcastic quip, she pulled out a chair and lowered herself into it.

“Tony Stark, I swear to God if you’re lying to me, you’ll never see my face again,” she said in an enraged whisper.

He nodded.

“First, I want to take this opportunity to offer you an apology after all these years. I recognize that you were telling me the truth. My reaction was disproportionate to what was going on and I acted out of line. Believe it or not, I am very sorry for what I did to you the last time we met. I hope you forgive me.”

Pepper looked away, rubbing her thumb and index finger together and picking at her nails. “Okay. Fine. I’ll consider it...even though that sounded so rehearsed. But I still don’t know why you won’t just go talk to Peter yourself. Why wait around?”

“To be honest, Pepper, I’m...I don’t know why. I guess it’ll be easier if I hear it through you. Maybe you talking to Peter will get him interested in talking to me again.”

“Tony, it’s not my place and honestly, I don’t feel like being an actress in your drama,” Pepper said. A waiter came by and placed a glass of water beside her.

“Oh, but Pep, you’ve got the looks! Nice hair, a tight waist, bright white teeth that could rival veneers!”

“Flattery will get you nowhere right now.” Pepper quipped with a smile.

Tony clicked his tongue and sighed.

“Look, I’m not invincible.”

“Oh? What finally made it click?”

In one smooth movement, Tony pulled a cigar out with one hand while producing a lighter from his pants pocket with his other. He didn’t falter as he rolled the spark wheel, lit the flame, popped the cigar in his mouth, and gave it a long pull. The smoke drifted in Pepper’s direction and she blew air back at Tony in an almost cute and playful manner. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

“I... have cancer.”

Pepper’s mouth floundered for a bit before she snatched the cigar from Tony’s mouth and tossed it in the street. Tony couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay, one more isn’t going to make a difference, I promise you,” he sighed, mourning the loss of a good smoke.

Pepper’s shoulders tensed. “Uh, Tony? It’s cancer! You can’t just play around with this. It’s not funny. You should be taking care of yourself already.”

“Mm, not yet. I want to enjoy the flavors of life before becoming some health guru imitator. As soon as I step into that hospital, I’ll be locked up and forced to eat Wheat Thins and sparkling water for every meal and the only way they’ll let me out is if the treatments are successful or I’m in a body bag.”

Pepper sat still for a moment. Tony handed her a handkerchief when tears spilled out onto her cheeks. “What can I even say….”

“Nothing more than I’ve asked you. Just tell Peter—”

Pepper immediately wiped her tears away and straightened up. “Don’t you dare. Stop trying to get him back.”

“Have you seen him yet? I just—”

“I saw him a few times but he never said anything crazy big to me. He told me that Aunt May is sick, so I gave him a little cash to help out. After that? No idea.”

Tony sighed and circled his finger around the rim of his coffee cup. “What about Quentin?”

“I only got with him to return his projects and straighten things out. All formal. But he’s an adult, so I’m not going to tell him to do anything, okay?”

That familiar feeling rose up in Tony’s chest. His mind went back to how he dealt with it before and he lined up the constructive options he could choose instead.

“Did he accept them?” Tony asked with a flat voice.

“He got rid of them as soon as I handed them to him. Before I could ask him why, he just turned and left.”

Then I guess I was tripping hard when I saw you three yucking it up, huh? I guess I’m fucking batshit after all these years? Tony exhaled.

“I believe you,” he started. “But I did—and I’m not being confrontational here, I just wanted to say—see you once before. With Quentin and Peter.”

“...Okay.” 

“Was it then when you gave Peter the money and Quentin his projects? ‘Cause I didn’t see anything in either of their hands…”

“Are you—”

“And you all seemed to be having a good time, which is odd considering what—”

“Oh my fucking G—”

“Considering what you told me! And—”

“Yeah, I was right. I knew it. I knew it. You know what? I’m out.”

“Right about what?” Tony asked.

“You’re still a fucking bastard! Even when you’re dying, you still want to act shitty and rude and paranoid and haughty,” Pepper snapped, counting each insult on her fingers. “You don’t know when to quit, you think you know everything, you lie, you cheat, you stay in your own little bubble and—worst of all—you assume the whole world is like you! It’s unbearable!”

Tony went to open his mouth but paused. Okay, chill out. You’re going back down the same path again. Peace starts with you.

“I’m sorry. What I implied was not okay. I just want to be able to...establish trust between the both of us. That’s it. That’s all. I think making amends right now will be the best course of action before we, y’know, start the whole back and forth thing again.”

Pepper sat back in her chair. The sound of her heel tapping was so loud that the waiters passing by looked around in confusion.

“Fine...so what if we were together another time? You gonna kill us for laughing at you behind your back or for celebrating our new lives sans you? It’s not your circus so it shouldn’t be your monkeys.”

Tony nodded. No. Smart. Remarks.

“You are...completely correct. Insightful as always, Pep, that’s what I like about you. And since it’s not my circus,” Tony folded his arms and cracked his neck. “I’ll just start my own.”

Pepper stared perplexedly until she realized she had been dismissed. She stood, mouthed a silent “okay” and went on her way.

Tony sent for the waiter again to pay his bill and was already set for another meeting. In just a few calls, he was able to hunt down his other ex-employee. However this time, Tony was going to make sure he'd get them back on his side. Was his tactic going to be unethical? Yeah. Was it probably the biggest dick move he'd ever make? Mmm, yeah. Was he going to be proud of himself later? Hell no. But to make an omelette, you gotta crack a few eggs.

Somewhere, a company was about to fire a man thought to be nothing but a replaceable technician. But this worker was anything but replaceable and Tony had come to realize this over the past few years. Knowing how small the company was, this move would tank their productivity soon enough and, in the worst case scenario, tank their entire company.

“So much talent wasted laying cables, Quentin. Could’ve been working with the best…”

Tony had already stood up when his breath was cut short by a sudden coughing spell. His chest ached and burned and that feeling of vulnerability weighed heavy on his spirit. Despite having days where his courage and resentment propelled him to peak performance, he suffered from moments like this where the consequences of his actions reminded him that his life was full of failures that had broken his body and mind hundreds of times over. But showing that side meant weakness; it meant admitting that The Great Tony Stark was still just a man, no matter how many superhuman beings he had on speed dial. He was living on the borrowed time of borrowed time and death was getting impatient.

++

“Yes. Yes. Yeah, don’t worry. I left early and passed by...Are you okay? You sound upset.”

Peter paused at the crosswalk as cars were let through.

“Okay, we’ll talk tonight. Dinner at my place? Bet. But I’m making strawberry cake so don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He tucked his phone into his pocket which held crumpled a straw wrapper, a pen, and M&Ms that were melting inside their package. He meant to throw it all out hours ago but his mind wandered and led him to his favorite bookstore where he sat staring at the decor and daydreaming.

Whenever Peter had time alone, he reflected. It was instinctive, like he was trained to dig through his own head whenever he wasn't punching baddies or remembering physics equations. He frequently thought about a recurring dream. This dream that had stuck with him for years replayed again and again, never changing and always leaving Peter exhausted by morning. The star of the dream was a curious but foolish little boy that, oddly enough, looked nothing like Peter. In his naivete, the boy wandered into a forest alone. This forest was vast; the trees grew miles high and created paths that would start and end with no rhyme or reason. Some winded underneath flowered arches while others zigzagged into dense bushes. He noticed condensation on the leaves above which made them twinkle like shards of jade in the sun beams. The slivers of sun created a dotted line of light that pointed the child in the direction of an opening. The boy had been walking so long that he had turned himself around twice, so the line was a welcome lead. As he walked on, the trail fell silent, save for a single bird whose chirps echoed from somewhere high in the canopy.

When he reached the clearing, he was surprised to see that it was a garden and in the center of the garden was a massive red snake curled in on itself as though it was sleeping. But when the boy's feet crunched on the dirt, the snake's eyes widened in excitement, for it never had a guest as interesting as the little boy. It gushed about how brave the boy was for coming into the forest by himself—a choice not many would have the courage to do—and that he was honored to have such a beautiful visitor.

The bird that chirped so far away had now moved in closer and the snake took notice, wrapping itself around the boy. It cooed about how sweet the boy's eyes looked and how soft his skin felt against his own cold scales. The little boy was flattered. He couldn't help but giggle, especially when the snake brushed its tail all over him. But as the snake gripped him tighter, its tail slid into new places; places that caused his breath to catch and toes to curl. The places tingled and twitched and pulsed and the boy groaned softly.

The bird's call got louder. The snake held tighter. The boy squirmed harder. He liked the feeling of the tail that was now wrapped around his length and thrusted his hips into the snake's grip. All this time, the snake whispered words into the boy's ear, including ones he never heard before. The snake's breath was becoming heavy and malodorous and his voice felt like daggers in the boy's ear. He was aroused at first but fear was creeping in. It was obvious that the serpent was not planning on letting go so when the boy yelped in protest, it flexed as hard as possible and crushed the boy's ribs.

Out of nowhere, the bird landed on a nearby branch. It was gigantic; the head and beak were as long as the boy's torso and its white, hefty wings spread the length of the tree's trunk. Bright orange circles pulsated on its chest and when it cried out, its screech shook the trees, scorched the grass, and lit up the garden. Fear turned to relief when the snake turned its attention to the bird and prepared to strike it down. Seizing the opportunity, the boy wriggled his way out of the serpent's loose hold. Down to catch the snake in its metallic gold talons when the snake attempted to spit in the bird's eyes. They quarreled for a moment, biting and clawing at each other in a heated, gory frenzy.

But the snake had not forgotten about the boy. If it couldn't have him, it'd take him down with it. So when the snake saw the boy running away, it chose to lunge at him. Suddenly, the boy's heart was struggling to beat. The snake had bitten deep and injected stinging venom into his muscles. The wound that formed rotted so quickly. His breath was cut short in an instant. The last thing he always remembered was the helplessness. Darkness swallowed his vision and for a moment, he floated in a cold void. He was lost. The bird that fought for him took him away but to where? He never knew.

And that was it. What did it mean? He never knew. There was no ending to it. Well, not an ending that gave him closure. He was forced to accept the fact that he wouldn't come out victorious, no matter how many times he faced that demon. All he wanted was peace and maybe peace meant accepting that he couldn't or shouldn't win. It was he who put himself in that situation and it was he who deserved the consequences.

If he never met the beast again, it'd be too soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! I must say some extra changes were added in this translation/adaptation and I´m so grateful for this. The original version in Spanish varies from this one but the essence and the feelings are here and even more.


	8. Eight

If the tests were to be believed, the cancer wasn’t as advanced as Tony thought. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to the sky, thanking whatever could be up there for looking out for a poor, downtrodden man like him.

All of his courage that he was able to muster was the only thing keeping him from breaking down in tears. Tony had postponed his admission to the hospital for weeks now, trying to avoid starting the first round of chemo. He wanted to have something to remember when his strength waned and he was unrecognizable in the future.

Tony decided to move inside to a table that had a full view of everyone in the room while also allowing him to garner as little attention as possible. He knew that Peter frequented this coffee shop every afternoon during the school week and would be in any second. Tony waited, his eyes moving between his phone and the door. Nothing short of a lifetime passed before Peter arrived looking as though he was on a mission. He flashed two fingers at the barista and she prepared two cups of coffee for him without asking for specifics. And just as quickly as he arrived, he left. The moment slipped by faster than Tony hoped. Prickling underneath his skin were pangs of irritation and disappointment. He needed to see him more; to know more about Peter right now. The thought of interrogating the barista for information about Peter was a tempting one to say the least, but he didn’t want to alarm her lest he be added to the cafe’s “Do not let in” list.

Instead, Tony walked out the building and casually tailed Peter. He couldn’t help but smile at the strangeness of the situation; an old man like him following a twenty-something around town with the intent of getting to talk to him eventually. Normally, this would be something Tony would show disdain for. But he brushed it off, rationalizing his actions by saying this was simply to lessen his anxiety about the unknown.

Judging by his appearance, the weight of his responsibilities was beginning to take its toll on Peter’s body. His face was fixed in a flustered expression and there were bruises of different sizes and colors on his arms. It was easy to keep pace with him due to how sore Peter was: his legs ached meaning his gait was stiff and awkward, slowing him down significantly. Tony hated to see Peter like that. It was unusual, especially since Peter had taken bevies of blows to his body in the past and still managed to act as though nothing had happened the very next day. He was superhuman but that’s exactly what held him back: being human. The human body wasn’t meant to take so much for so long.

Being as deep in thought as he was, Tony almost missed Peter ducking into the bookstore where he now worked. Tony let a few more people walk into the store before he entered himself so as to not be accidentally noticed if Peter were to suddenly turn around. Tony took his usual seat near the window. He had been here multiple times to help him memorize Peter’s schedule. What could he say? He had a lot more free time these days.

The third time he came in, Tony had dared to ask about things Peter must have known and he was not wrong.

"Oh, I don’t know much about that. The books you’re talking about are ones that Peter knows most about but his shift is over. Would you like to leave a phone number or address so that he can find them and send them to you?”

Tony nodded while trying to suppress a smile. It was nice to know that Peter was still trying to master the subjects he was passionate about back in high school. He pretended to be interested in some self-help books and made sure to pay in cash. He was grateful that his emaciated appearance would have made him go unnoticed by anyone who knew him with his brighter and younger one.

Today, however, he had nothing more to find out. Peter was here and that was what mattered. Until he remembered his other POI.

“Justin, I hear you but you have to hear me out,” Tony said. “Beck doesn’t suit your company. I know his ideas are alluring but during his time at my company, he was involved in various mishaps that led to loss of profits on our end. I know how strange it is to ask this of you but I need you to consider perhaps...Why don’t I want you to keep him? I have my reasons...Forget it. We’ll talk later.”

Tony hung up but as soon as he got his coffee, the phone rang again.

“Back already, huh? That was the fastest later that I’ve witnessed. Do you see it? I told you so. If he was so good, why was he working as a cable installation technician for the phone company? From Stark Industries to AT&T? It's nothing personal against the man, I swear. I'd rather hate to see him ruin my best competitor's company just because you acted selflessly in giving someone a chance who clearly doesn't deserve it. Hey, do you play golf? How about we meet next week? Before I go into the hospital, we’ll chat. See you later.”

Tony left the phone sighing with satisfaction. At least he had one employee cornered but he desperately needed all three to make his plan work. Blackmailing Pepper wasn’t something he was comfortable with any more. She had a strange sense of defiance. She changed and not in Tony’s favor. Yes, he had been able to take her off guard due to the nature of his news, but contrary to what he expected, she had not sought him out this time. She had not called him or been as vigilant as he had believed. Tony waited for her to look for him like the old days, but she didn't.

Hot coffee dripped onto his chin when he took too fast of a sip. He cringed but couldn’t keep his eyes off the person who walked onto the bookstore floor from the back. It was Peter. This was the moment Tony could take to speak to him but he couldn’t.

Peter kneeled down and a little girl ran up to him. Peter pulled her in with an embrace and picked her up. There was a coffee shop inside the store (which didn’t stock the coffee Peter liked) so he went in and sat the girl on the counter next to a now springy barista. Peter took her in his arms and kissed her forehead while he arranged the red ribbon the girl was wearing in her hair and spent a few minutes with the sales clerk.

Tony felt something inside him, something he had never experienced. It was overwhelming him and he had no means of fighting back or avoiding it. Never in all his years had he experienced something like that, because he hadn't even thought about it. The resentment that made him plot against Peter simply disappeared. It dissolved and that dull flame lit like a bonfire in his mind.

He waited for Peter and the girl to go about their business before he hustled to the barista. In retrospect, it was absurd to be so anxious and to want some sort of an answer about Peter’s life.

Tony leaned against the counter cooly. “Hey, I have a question: do you know how many elementary schools are nearby? Like, in the next fifteen to twenty miles?”

The barista looked at him and awkwardly chuckled. “Come again?”

Tony suddenly realized how disturbing that sentence sounded. Yikes…

“I’m actually looking to enroll my daughter in one and I’m not entirely sure how to do so.”

The barista informed Tony about the private elementary school a few miles from here. She then offered to give Tony the information he needed from a friend of hers, provided he returned to the bookstore to get it.

Tony knew this was going to bear a considerable risk but it was one worth taking.

“Of course, uh, Wanda,”

“At your service, Mr. …”

“Thank you, Wanda. I’ll be back tomorrow,” He responded dryly. Before he left the building, he realized how heavy it was pouring out there. And he forgot his umbrella.


	9. Nine

Tony’s afternoons of spying on Peter were having to be cut short as his health steadily declined. It was his assistant who had to make an appointment with Tony’s doctor. And despite his protests, Tony still dragged his skinny ass over there. The longer he waited, the more likely it would be that his condition complicated and the last thing he wanted was to have any more complicated things in his life. The only thing he asked was to have one more week of sweet freedom before he devoted all his time to his treatments. The doctor gave Tony a hard look as if it would make him reconsider but, as stubborn as always, he had already made up his mind long ago.

First, he was going to fix his shitty relationship with Pepper ASAP. Trying to earn her sympathy with the cancer card didn’t really work and he’d be damned if he did anything sappy like sending flowers and gifts...again. Pepper’s shell had to be cracked either with brains or (figurative) brawn.

**  
“You are a persistent little man, aren’t you?” Pepper’s contempt was so thick, it oozed through the phone. “I still know that you’re trying to weasel your way into my life somehow, even when you’re not talking to me. Believe me when I say I know you’re trying to make life miserable for Quentin and me and whomever else left you because you can’t stand to lose. But let me say something: you getting cancer is gonna make people feel bad for you. You’ll get some sympathy points. So don’t make me come and spill the rest of the tea, okay?”

Another strike on the Pepper front. Tony, in an act of force and goodwill, had decided to leave the unemployed Quentin in peace. He hadn't bothered to hear from him, to find out about his personal life, or to keep pestering him. If he wanted to have Pepper by his side again to use later as a mediator between him and Peter and Quentin, he was going to have to please her. Tony solved everything with some phone calls and, after securing a job for Quentin, got in touch with Pepper again to explain his achievement (see: brag)

“What?” 

“Before you start getting mad at me again, I’m just here to tell you that I made progress on Beck’s end. He and all those who followed him have a job. Can I see you so we can have a small conversation? I’d love to see you face to face and I’m a bit lonely”.

Pepper sighed and let out a pissed off groan. “Fine. Promise you’ll make it quick this time.”

“Of course, of course.”

“You sound so disingenuous,” She said dryly.

“No, I mean it. I know you have things to do. See you soon,” Tony hung up just as Pepper tried to say her piece. 

**  
A last-minute change of plans: Tony had decided not to bring up anything regarding Peter. He wanted to show Pepper that he was someone different; he was someone who was willing to let go of the past but also knew that it was going to take time. 

“So, are you going to be okay in the long run?” Pepper asked when Tony revealed to her his plans for treatment.

“Yeah, well, I hope so. Hopefully you’ll be kind enough to visit me,” Tony said while looking away from Pepper. He didn't want to read her expression in case she looked indifferent or awkward. “If you don’t, I understand completely. I know I’ve hurt you more times than I even recall and I hope that one day we can both find our own peace.”

There was a long pause in which Tony felt more embarrassment than he anticipated. The sentiment was so sappy that he forced himself to stifle a smart-ass quip afterwards. He waited for a response but Pepper chose instead to hug him. Tony winced at the contact. It felt more like a farewell than an “I’ll see you later”. 

Then she walked away and that was it. Tony wanted to process what happened; maybe look it over and reinterpret Pepper’s goodbye. But what was there to analyze? There was a reason she chose not to say much but she didn't explain why. But dwelling on it wasn’t going to change anything.

Tony chose to skip over any opportunity to talk to Peter that day. There was nothing else he wanted to say to him, because it was enough to know that he was struggling as a father. Spying on him during those days proved to Tony that despite Peter's was going out of his way to take care of his daughter. He always had her well groomed and fed and happy; he was always looking out for her and it comforted Tony to know so.

Maybe Peter would have made for a good husband. The thought never fully left Tony’s mind. It would worm its way in and out of his subconscious and he could never catch it until regret hit. And when that regret hit, it almost felt like it would stretch on eternally. 

The girl must have been seven years old at this point. That was seven years of her childhood that Tony missed out on. Her first steps, her first words, her first day of school. Those had all passed long ago without Tony even realizing. Maybe if Tony helped raise her, she could have provided Tony with some stability and peace. Maybe if he didn’t react so quickly and violently, he’d be a devoted family man, or at least, he would have tried harder to be a different person. Or maybe the relationship with Peter wouldn't have been any better, but that too was just a guess.

It was the possibility of fixing his relationship with Peter and creating one with Peter’s daughter that truly motivated Tony to start treatments. But it was simultaneously the thing that impelled him to hold off. If he didn’t make it through, then he at least could die knowing that Peter knew he actually cared this whole time. 

Tony also longed to create a bond with Peter’s little girl—his little girl—but even so he still had to know that she was truly his. He needed something beyond just her brown hair to tell. Some other physical trait, perhaps her eyes or nose or something. A blood test, even. Something that would tell him that she was his. It seemed callous, he admitted, to only come to Peter for proof, but Tony had to know. The doubt had to be silenced.

**  
That morning, Tony woke up with two things on his mind. The first was to make up for lost time by any means necessary. Money helped in those cases and he needed all the time he could get. The second thing derived from the first. If Peter was still as empathetic as he was all of those years ago, then he was most likely to hear Tony out. If not, then he would have to play his worst card: pity.

**

He had no trouble using his name to get into the girl’s school. Trust was easy to gain when you could write big checks and make big deals. In this case, Tony offered to integrate the school into one of his foundations which would support every expenditure, including those regarding extra-curriculars. He’d be damned if the girl was going to go to any school that was too hard up for anything less than a stellar education. The principal was more than happy to grant his request for a private, under the radar tour of the grounds. When asked why he didn’t want to meet any other staff, Tony waved it off by stating that he wasn’t in the mood for any distractions or side conversations to which the principal nodded understandingly. 

The principal first led him to the classrooms where the elementary students resided. She spoke about how dedicated and hard-working the kids were for their age and how they were encouraged to express themselves through their schoolwork as well as their arts and physical education. She prattled on about how well the teachers were properly trained in engaging with students and was about to lead Tony into the arts wing before he stopped and peered through a lite in one of the doors. A red ribbon caught his eye and as he hoped, the girl wearing it was none other than Peter’s daughter. When the principal turned around and noticed Tony wasn’t following, she offered to let him step in and observe. 

The two quietly ducked into the classroom, standing at the back as not to disturb the students. Tony didn’t notice how much he was staring until the principal put a hand on his arm and asked him if he was okay. Tony nodded and gestured at the girl.

“Oh, she’s one of the scholarship students. We often have students whose parents or guardians cannot afford the full tuition so we decided to offer a support program for those who have both the need and the intelligence to qualify for it,” the principal explained. “Morgan, can I speak to you for a second?” 

Tony noticed the hint of condescension in the principal’s tone and couldn’t help but become a little defensive. He wanted to call her out right there on her attitude but he bit his tongue (literally) and raised an eyebrow instead. He couldn’t be too angry. He has probably done it a few times himself without even realizing. And to be fair, it was his fault, was it not? He allowed the girl to be taken care of by someone who was far less well off than himself. The stigma of poverty was going to be on her back even if people knew about her intelligence and talents. 

“Morgan, are you acquainted with Mr. Stark here?” the principal asked, the condescending tone now replaced with sickly sweet, patronizing one. 

The girl looked embarrassed and shook her head.

“I don't think children of this age read business magazines, or does this school teach the kids about stock trading early?” Tony tried to joke to ease the tension he was feeling.

The principal chuckled, “You are quite the celebrity, Mr. Stark.”

Tony smiled and watched the girl return to her place.

“To be fair, I haven’t been out much for quite a while so maybe I’m not on the kids’ radars,” Tony shrugged. “Do you mind if I stay a little longer? It’s boring out there, y’know?”

The woman laughed and continued to show him around until the bell rang. Tony stood back and watched as the kids poured into the hall and out the door to the playground. Morgan, however, walked outside and sat quietly under an awning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of teachers staring at him, probably chattering about who was going to be the first to go up to him. All he wanted was to be left alone so he could speak to Morgan again. She didn’t seem to mind being by herself. She just ran her fingers along the cracks on the sidewalk and mumbled something occasionally. It was sad but fascinating. Before he knew it, their break was over and the kids walked in an orderly manner back into their classrooms. Morgan, he noticed, hung back and waited for everyone else to go inside. More depressing was the fact that not even the teachers waited for her. She shuffled inside not looking sad but quite pensive.

Tony knew that it wasn’t the intention, but he couldn’t help feel like Morgan was being targeted.

“Typical. The poor being left behind,” He mumbled. Sparks of fiery indignation went off in his stomach. He waited until Morgan passed near him before he put on a kind face and spoke sweetly.

“Morgan, right?”

The girl halted. By the look on her face, her train of thought had been jarringly stopped and she was not pleased. “Uh….I shouldn’t talk to strangers,” She said, eyeing him suspiciously. 

Tony almost sneered but caught himself before he scared off the girl. Instead, he set his face into a kind smile and nodded.

“It’s weird how you’ve never heard of me, I’ll admit,” he said. “None of your classmates talk about me? The teachers? The lunch ladies?”

The girl shook her head. 

Tony approached her and held out a hand to shake. “Tony Stark. A good friend of your dad, of Peter.”

Morgan’s expression loosened up a bit.

“I would like to invite you and your father to lunch one day. That’s if the both of you are interested,” Tony realized that no one had noticed the girl’s absence so he kept talking. “What do you say? Tell Peter that we spoke. I think he’d like to speak sometime soon. C’mon, let’s get back to class.”

Morgan nodded and shook his hand. Tony felt that, at last, his life made sense as he took that soft little hand in his own. He looked sideways at Morgan and knew that for her, only for her, he would make the changes he had never made and that if life was giving him another chance, he was ready to be anything but the man he was. He sighed excitedly, feeling that there was one more reason to want to hold on to life and show everyone that he could be someone else.

Even if Peter rejected him, Tony would claim his right to parenthood. He would take the reins of his life by guiding Morgan. He would be a role model, someone who could extend his legacy to someone who was just discovering the world. Even if he had to show the worst of himself by taking the child from Peter, he would justify his actions and make amends for his mistakes.

He would do anything to feel that he was acting right even if deep down he knew he was not.


	10. Ten

“Why didn't you let me know you couldn't go?... I'm on my way! It's already late! She must be terrified… I'll fix it! I told you I'll take care of it, as always and—”

Peter was forced to cut the call off and get out of the cab. One more delay and he would be fired, but there wasn't much he could do if that happened either. With no explanation, Pepper could no longer go to pick up Morgan like she used to. He couldn’t reproach her since, in the end, it was a favor she was doing him and it was not her obligation to take care of the child. Carefully, Peter crossed the street and went to pick up Morgan.

He felt it again, the weight of the world that fell on him years ago when he was left alone with no one to turn to. Aunt May had died of a heart attack a few days after he announced the pregnancy and how the father of his child had rejected him. Peter couldn't even tell her what was happening to him and the guilt was eating him up from the inside. He had never given up on Morgan. He never would. But that afternoon, for that moment, he felt that he was not going to make it. 

Peter stopped in front of the gate with tears threatening to spill. He had never cried in front of his daughter, believing that no child her age should have to consider that their parents are just as fallible and fragile as they were. And although life had gotten increasingly more complicated in the years following Aunt May’s death, Peter wasn’t going to throw up his hands and walk away. Everyone has felt overwhelmed at least once in their lives and after a few quiet years with no real surprises, something bad was bound to happen. 

“Everything will be fine,” Peter assured himself. “Everything will be fi—” 

When the school gate opened, Peter was still somewhat flustered. Morgan’s teacher looked at him disdainfully.

“Mr. Parker. I’m glad you’ve decided to arrive just before the school year ended, hmm?”

Peter could only fake a smile and stutter an excuse.

The woman said nothing and went back into the school. Peter sighed, hoping that the anxiety in his chest would be pressed out and replaced with a breath that could steady his body. When he heard Morgan’s voice, he stood up straight and forced his expression to brighten.  
“Thank you so much, ma’am. And my apologies. Take care.” He said, waving at the teacher.

The gate closed and Peter held his daughter’s hand. In her other hand, Peter spotted a new doll.

“Ooh, that’s nice. Who gave you that?”

Morgan held the doll up and danced it back and forth. “A man came in today and gave prizes to people who answered questions right. I didn’t get any right but he gave me one anyway!”

Peter frowned suspiciously. “And was your teacher there?”

“All of the teachers were there. Why were you late?”

Peter threw back his head as if to chase away the tears.

“I was on my way to work but... Pepper said she couldn't come to pick you up and, I’m sorry to say but she won’t be able to pick you up anymore.

Morgan didn't say anything. But after a few minutes of walking, she was suddenly lively and energetic. Peter was surprised to see this sudden change of mood in his daughter who had always been the reserved type. He was glad that she was feeling exuberant because as soon as he saw the bookstore front, his energy plummeted. He knew that he was going to be fired that day. He only had one more chance to be late before he would be terminated but because of his poor planning and Pepper’s sudden resignation, he struck out for the third time. So he packed up his things quietly while Morgan making her doll prance and fly around, none the wiser. 

Peter did not protest his firing. Instead, he held Morgan’s hand again and took her on a walk to the park so he could clear his head. He knew he would have to head back to his apartment to think about what he was going to do to try to pay the bills, but not now. Morgan was beaming with joy. Seeing her this happy reminded him that not every good thing in his life was gone. That all those years feeling empty and incomplete were worth it because she was there.

“Are you hungry?” Peter asked after a while.

“No, they fed us at school. It was really, really good today!”

“Oh? What did you get?”

“The man gave us big slices of pizza and cake and Capri Suns while we watched movies. Then the teachers decided that it was a free day so we didn’t get schoolwork or homework!”

Peter figured that was the reason Morgan was acting uncharacteristically animated. 

“Amazing! Was it someone’s birthday? Or maybe a class prize?”

“I don’t know. The man was a friend of the principal and I guess he’s super famous. Everyone, even the parents who came by, wanted to talk to him… Hey, why didn’t you come?” Morgan asked, stopping short.

Peter sighed. “Because your teacher closed the door.”

“Well, there were still a lot of children and adults there.” 

Peter’s phone rang. He looked at the number but it was no one he knew. Maybe it was from the bank or one of his creditors. “Not a good time, guys”. He silenced the call and stuffed the phone back into his pocket. The sky had become a dreary gray since they had started walking and soaking wet clothes was the last thing Peter wanted on today of all days.

“Ah, y’know, we should start heading home before we get caught in the rain,” Peter said.

Morgan started to put her things away and Peter held her hand tightly. The walk did nothing to clear his head. At the end of it, he was still obsessing over the debts he had to clear and the tuition money that Morgan needed if he wanted her to stay at her current school. Maybe he would have to move her to the public school nearby. Asking Pepper for help was out of the question now. She was already struggling to sell her ideas to companies that wouldn't pay anything close to what they were worth. She was the only one who still had a few important contacts despite having given up the only stable job (and therefore most connections) she had. Peter was the only one who relied on her the most. She was a friend and even a mother to him. Peter looked down when he felt Morgan pulling him insistently.

“That's the man who came to school today! He's the one who gave me the doll!” She said, eyes shining bright.

Peter’s eyes flicked to where his daughter was pointing. It was a spectacular magazine ad oozing with glitz and glam and opulence. It was set in what looked to be the foyer of a marble-floored mansion. There were gold busts of various sizes; shiny, black tables; and curved staircases draped in expensive-looking carpet runners. Smack dab in the center of it all was a familiar person. Peter felt his blood run both hot and cold simultaneously when he saw him: Tony Stark. 

Nostalgia was accompanied by a deep and heavy ache in his chest. Flickers of that day ran through his mind and he cringed. It was a reflex at this point what with how often he would see Stark’s face around New York. He had never felt so abandoned in his life and fleeting iotas of yearning for Tony’s love stopped him from truly healing.

Peter didn’t say anything. He walked away with Morgan in tow. The wound hadn’t closed but he refused to admit it, even to himself. He would only feel the words. They threatened to take every part of him back to that exact moment which he would suppress by gritting his teeth in frustration. At the end of the day, he stood there, still physically in the present, still with Morgan, still holding his life down like he needed to. But he wasn’t completed. What Tony stole from him kept Peter from being the whole he used to be.

For that, Tony deserved nothing but to suffer alone for decades to come. And once he knew what it felt like to be as alone as Peter was all of these years, he could rot in hell.


	11. Eleven

It had been a painful convalescence, but at least Tony was certain that he had gotten away with it again. He spent several months bedridden, keeping sane through the idea that by getting out, he could soon go see them.

He would go see them.

Once again, the world supported him because of the humanism he had been showing even from the confines of his bed. That strategic move was not just for the sake of it. By showing his vulnerability, he proved that he was just like the average man, and that action peeled away the image of an arrogant and unscrupulous man that had always surrounded him. He now supported causes that he had never considered and gained the sympathy and consideration of many who now saw him as a role model. For a moment, it seemed like moral redemption was his only goal; he was convincing himself that maybe he did care about things that didn’t affect him directly. But Tony knew damn well his ulterior motive was piloting his decisions.

He wanted the populace to be on the lookout for his next big, charitable move, but he cared more about getting attention from the people he had been interested in all this time. His newest assistant was the only one who leaked certain information to him, and although she was not as compassionate as the other one he had, he had to trust her. Pepper never visited him, but he knew she was still nursing her grudge and with good reason. Tony would counterattack when the time was right, but he would only do it once he had enough information to work off of.

**  
A few days later, Tony felt more like himself again, so he headed back to Morgan’s school in hopes of catching Peter as well. He took off his glasses and leaned the back of his head against a wall. The hair on his head had grown out a bit but his distinctive facial hair was now scant and sparse. He thought about the father and daughter he wanted to connect with once again and, in his heart, was still convinced that he could finally create the family he had once rejected. Tony prayed that the echoes of his good deeds had somehow reached Peter’s ears and changed the image that he had left with the young boy all those years ago.

If everything went according to plan, Tony would be able to sit down with Peter and Morgan and simply say “I am your father” (and no, there would be no cheesy Darth Vader impression). The whole DNA test thing? He would forget about it. It was futile. If he wanted a family —this family— Tony had to let go of the thought of Morgan not truly being his. He couldn’t sit by the wayside and watch her grow up with one struggling father and the looming weight of poverty over her head. And he couldn’t let Peter handle all life by himself; Peter, who his heart was still attached to and whom he was willing to win back at any price. Tony couldn’t refuse Peter and Peter couldn’t refuse Tony. Both of them were alone.

The final bell rang and children poured out of the front doors. Tony stood up and straightened his tie. He was surprised to see that the little girl was more confident than before and that she already had some friends. He waited off to the side for a bit so he wouldn’t come off as aggressive and strange (well, he would come off as strange for following Morgan again but that couldn’t be helped). When the crowd dispersed and Morgan’s friends headed home, Tony walked up to her.

“Morgan! How are you?”

When she whipped around and locked eyes with Tony, her smile melted into an awkward grimace. 

“Tony. Stark. We’ve done this introduction before, kid,” Tony said flatly. When Morgan didn’t respond, he crouched down and made an effort to sound more cordial. 

“I was the one who did the whole pizza party thing! I gave you that doll!”

The girl nodded. “Yeah, I know. My parents said I can’t talk to you. So…”

Tony frowned. “Your parents?” 

Morgan looked over Tony’s shoulder. Her eyes were moving upwards as if she was watching something coming closer.

“What’s wron—” Tony asked. But before he could get a good look at what she was staring at, his nose was crushed by a powerful fist and he fell gracelessly on his back.

Morgan hurried backward then ran straight to whoever was behind Tony.

“So you think you can just follow my daughter, huh?”

Tony blinked a few times and rubbed the back of his hand across his nose. He still felt weak when he answered.

“I...Your daughter…? Peter?”

When Tony could focus his vision, his guess was confirmed. There he stood with Morgan wrapped around his leg, a fist raised by his side, and an expression that said I’m two seconds away from strangling the life out of your scrawny body and I don’t care who’s watching. Peter Parker.

“Kid, look, she’s my daughter too. I wanted to tell you…”

“She’s not! She never was! Leave us alone!”

Tony stood up shakily. He managed to see that, in the distance, someone was carrying Morgan to their car as she chattered happily to them.

“Hey, kid, let’s not make a fuss. Who’s that with Morgan?”

Peter stepped towards Tony to stop him from moving forward and now that he was this close, Tony could see that the stress had been chipping away at Peter’s formerly cherubic face, sculpting it into a gaunt, uncanny replica. The bags under Peter’s eyes that Tony had made note of months earlier were getting darker and threatening to brand themselves onto his pale face if he didn’t get some proper sleep pronto. His lips were pulled tight as if they were the only thing keeping Tony safe from a barrage of insults that could wound even the toughest of men. It was like a glimpse into a parallel universe where Tony’s weariness was a result of constant hardship and not a shitty illness.

Tony looked around Peter again, this time getting a better look at the man as he slowly approached the two. He couldn’t believe it until Peter shouted and snapped him back into reality.

“That’s Quentin, her father! The man who cares about her! The man that I want raising my child!”

Tony whispered Beck’s name. He felt like saying it any louder would literally break his own heart. The ground beneath him shifted. 

“Kid...I just want to talk to you. You and me, without Beck,” he said steadily. “She’s my daughter and I don’t want him with you anymore.”

Peter clenched his fists so hard that his fingers could bruise his palms.

“You said that she couldn’t be yours. That I was a fucking liar. That I was some sort of...of gold digger who slept around and came back to you just so I could be with a rich guy. You didn’t want her. So guess what? I found someone who did.”

The bitter and mocking sneer Peter wore suddenly set a fire in Tony’s chest. With what little strength he had, Tony shoved Peter away and strode towards Quentin who stopped in his tracks.

“Beck, listen to me,” Tony said in that dominant but cool tone he assumed with his employees. “I just want to talk to Morgan. Or maybe you can persuade Peter to listen to me.”

Tony could hear Peter coming up behind him, telling Beck that they were going home.

“Tony…” Quentin started. 

“What makes you think this kid is even yours? Do you have any proof? This whole thing shouldn’t’ve concerned you in the first place,” Tony paused and stepped back. “Ah! Wait a minute! Is this some kind of long-term revenge plot you two cooked up after I tossed both of you out on your asses? I wouldn’t put it past you, Beck. You’re far too smart to miss such a prime opportunity to bite your old boss in the ass.”

Quentin didn’t even bat an eye. “Hilarious. She has my last name, Tony. At this point, it doesn’t matter if she’s got your blood. Legally speaking, I’m the guy tasked to raise her. You had your chance and you blew it. Congrats.”

Suddenly, the car honked and they both turned to look at it. Morgan was in the backseat tapping away at a tablet. In front of her gesturing impatiently was Pepper. Peter brushed past Tony and took Quentin’s hand, dragging him towards the car. That last gesture made Tony’s jealousy meter break.

“Fuck it!” Tony threw his hands up in the air then violently pointed at Morgan. “I’m getting a fucking paternity test and as soon as I get the results, I’m taking her!”

Peter swung around with tears in his eyes and matched Tony’s pointing with a middle finger, “Get fucked, Stark! I’m not afraid of you or anything you can do! Walk your ass out of my life and stay out! And you better do it soon or I’ll make sure you won’t walk again.”

Tony didn’t know what to say or how to react. The kid had thrown threats at him before, all toothless and cute. But this was real. Tony rarely felt anything when threatened but this time he was ready to vomit. But instead of vomiting, he just watched as the two of them walked away and Pepper walked towards him. Memories flooded his mind and anger burned him up. If he stood there another while, he would be nothing but flakes of ash breaking apart into specks of dust. Pepper placed her hand on Tony’s shoulder, bringing him back to reality. He straightened himself up but the hurt was still holding a firm thumb on his back.

“Morgan,” Tony sighed. “Is she his? Is that actually Quentin’s kid?”

Pepper drew in a deep breath before answering.

“Yeah...the abortion went badly, and well, I think everyone has a chance to rebuild their life. Peter made it, Quentin made it, and look at them. You inadvertently did them a favor.

Tony paused. He couldn't understand everything that had happened in such a short time.

“Did you know that the two of them were together?”

“Who do you think proposed to create a company that would compete with yours? The limitation was money at first and contacts later, but if you make the right calls, everyone reconsiders, and well, if everything goes well, next year they will be independent of Hammer.”

Pepper tapped him on the shoulder to show Tony the envelope she was holding. Tony looked at her suspiciously, unable to contain the tremor in his body.

“I knew that this unfortunate day was going to happen and, well, I took a little liberty to put everyone at ease.”

Tony pulled out the sheet inside and the results almost killed him right where he stood.

“Morgan is Quentin's daughter,” Pepper confirmed out loud. “The results say so, but if you don't trust this, go ahead. Do your own research. Following through may help you. Or it may drive Peter even further away. I mean, you’ve seen that he’s not that kid you walked away from all those years ago; he’s strong enough to say no. But it’s all up to you. Do what you know is right, Tony. Do what you know is right.”  
Pepper smiled and for the first time in forever, Tony knew it was a kind one. “Take care of yourself. Oh, and if you plan to do something against us, don't worry. We have good lawyers.”

The millionaire crumpled up the paper and dropped it on the ground. He went home and remained silent, trembling with anxiety, excitement, and anger; all while trying to understand what he had caused. He didn't know what else to do. He could usually fix problems by using money and spite to turn everything to his advantage. But his pride was broken and battered, at last, after so many years. Tony understood now that he couldn't own what he wanted and that chasing after it was only going to make him look like a fucking fool. One day—one day—he would wake up again with the desire to set the world on fire and undertake an eternal crusade against Peter, Quentin, and Pepper, but not any time soon.

Tony wanted to lie to himself once again, telling himself that everyone else was the wrongdoer. He was truly the victim in this game that was going to the dogs and those three set him on the path to disaster. But no matter what, he was going to come up on top, right?

Acceptance hit. He had caused his own loneliness and was always at the mercy of his emotions. That afternoon had revealed the cruelest and most absolute truths: Tony had never recognized his true feelings until he saw that Peter could be loved by someone else and the girl with whom had been planning the rest of his life with—the one he knew he would give all the riches in the world for—wasn’t even his. 

The memories returned one by one with incredible intensity. He could remember the way he had taken hold of Peter because of the alluring aura that the boy gave off. The devoted and sincere way he swore love to Tony, even when Tony had not been able to reciprocate it, sent tingles through Tony’s skin. The remorse for having played with the most sacred thing Peter had offered him mercilessly ate him alive. His hopes of starting a new life and achieving any redemption were shattered and Tony would never forgive himself for that. The only thing he was a victim of was the lie he tricked himself into believing. 

Out of fear, Tony had pushed Peter away. It was terrifyingly vulnerable to keep him within arm’s reach. Tony kept repeating his story, kept justifying his rash decisions. This was all while wanting to ignore the fact that when Peter threatened him that afternoon, something inside him had broken. He wanted to ignore the guilt and fear he felt. He wanted to ignore that sob that was beginning to shake him. All Tony wanted to do was to run and hug Peter and ask him to forgive him for all the damage he had caused. He wanted to continue ignoring the fact that he was dying to tell Peter that he was truly sorry. He wanted to admit out loud that he had never been able to hate him more than he loved him, but it was too late.

That deception, which began as a game of seduction with all the evil and treachery in the world, was now taking its toll.

END


	12. Epilogue

Peter waited until his husband finished reading the story to her daughter. He was nervous.

“Can we talk?” 

Quentin closed the book and nodded understandingly when he saw Peter biting his nails.

“Easy, easy. Nothing is gonna happen. I’ve already sent in an application for a restraining order.”

Peter put his hands into his pockets and shook his head. “It’s because of what he said about Morgan.”

Quentin leaned over and kissed Peter’s forehead tenderly. 

“Actually, let him say what he wants. I don't care. Besides…” The doorbell rang, making Peter jump. “One second.”

Peter sighed and went to answer the doorbell while Quentin talked on his cell phone. To his relief, it was Pepper standing there with her warm smile.

“Where is...?”

Peter pointed over his shoulder. “I think he got a call from work.”

Pepper nodded and when Quentin took longer than usual, Peter lead her to the kitchen.

“Peter...come on. Tell me what’s wrong,” she said in a motherly tone.

Peter wiped away his tears.

“I swear I don't know what I would do without you," he said in a choppy voice as he hugged her. Pepper slowly broke away.

“Tomorrow is a new day and after today, Tony can just be a memory. I came to tell you that I'm going to take a few days off while calm things down. But if you need anything, just call me, okay?

Peter nodded as his husband came over to greet Pepper.

“Quentin! I was just telling Peter I was going on a small vacation. Maybe you two should as well.”

Quentin smiled and reached his hands upwards, stretching his body with a tired groan. 

“Yeah, I hear you, but first we have to go to Morgan's school and fix some things. Hopefully, that asshole Tony took a cue.”

“Oh, I agree. The only thing that worries me is the baby, I think she did notice the whole ordeal. Even though I was trying to distract her, she mentioned something about it. When you can, you should probably talk to her.”

Quentin nodded.

“Well, yeah. I’ll see if she wants to talk. Anyway, I'm going to go out and pick up some dinner. You should stay.”

Pepper smiled.

“Oh, yes, please. I need someone to be with just so I don’t run around in circles in my head.”

Quentin smiled and went over to give Peter another kiss on the forehead. “It's all right.”

Peter smiled slightly. Peter listened as Quentin walked out and closed the door before he looked out the window to make sure he had crossed the street.

“Does Quentin know that you got him the job with Hammer?”

Pepper shook her head. “No, and I don't think Justin will tell him. He is amazed at all the patents I saved and gave to him.”

Peter looked for a place to sit.

“I don’t mean to look a gift horse in the mouth but why are you doing all this? What do you get out of helping me?”

Pepper pulled out a chair and settled down in front of Peter. “To be honest, it’s mostly the satisfaction I’ll get for succeeding career-wise without Tony to help me. It’s freeing.”

Peter looked down. “Do...do you think I over-investigated?’

Pepper smiled.

“Many people believe what they want to believe when they know looking too hard would reveal something painful. Tony won't do anything else because his pride won't allow it. I mean, no one likes to be humiliated twice, especially him. And Quentin is just good, trusting Quentin. He still thinks Morgan was born prematurely, doesn't he?”

Peter met Pepper’s eyes. “Yeah”

Clicking her tongue, Pepper tapped her nails slowly against the table.

“And that’s how it’ll stay. Don't worry. If there’s one thing I learned from Tony during all the years I worked for him, it’s how to buy secrecy and fool those who want to be fooled. But trust me, with you, I have no secrets. We are both the same because we made the mistake of falling in love with the same asshole and getting burned because of it. And we both also realized that sometimes you have to learn to see the potential in people. I found a good business partner in your husband and you found a good man who accepted all of you.”

Peter said nothing but Pepper knew he felt the same way. When the door opened and Quentin slid back inside, Pepper remembered that she had yet to talk to Morgan. They passed each other with a pat on the back and shoulder squeeze.

Peter pretended to be interested, as always, when Quentin began to talk to him about his future plans with their company. He kept setting the table and nodding at every word his husband said while thinking to himself about Pepper’s sly words about getting back at Tony. They sounded a bit too smug for his liking but who was he to question someone with far more experience than him? Quentin had believed unconditionally in Peter ever since she arranged a meeting between the three of them which Peter took advantage of to cover up what was obvious.

"Do what you have to do,” Peter said once Quentin finished rambling. “Someday this’ll come in handy. He kicked the three of us out of his life so let's wait to return the favor. It takes time, but revenge will get to people who deserve it.”

Peter didn't really feel like he had hit bottom. He didn't even feel bad about having deceived Quentin for so long into believing that the baby growing in his belly was Quentin´s baby. He wasn't going to throw away everything he had built up by his side. Quentin had been his supporter and had been an exceptional father despite the initial difficulties. He had done more for Peter in this short time than Tony had ever done. 

Peter sighed when dinner was over and went out with his husband to say goodbye to Pepper. He smiled softly and calmly as he held hands with Quentin, the same man who, seeing him helpless and broken on that first date, took care of him and showed him how much he loved him. He went to sleep hugging Quentin tenderly. He was far less volatile than Tony was and that calm disposition made Peter feel like life was safe and stable. Quentin sweet, soft words of encouragement showed how much he loved Peter and how willing he was to make their relationship with each other and their daughter work. Peter leaned on his chest as he let Quentin's arms surround him.   
Perhaps, one day, Peter would learn to genuinely love him for who he was and not so much for what he gave him. He hoped that someday he would wake up burning with desire for his skin and for his kisses, that someday he would moan his name because he wanted to, not because he wanted to forget everything he still felt for Tony. But for now, he’d take his time. He was in no rush. He was going to set things right for him, Quentin, and especially the light of his life: Morgan.

END


End file.
